The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission is responsible for managing the UK’s contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, an international programme under which all Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commowealth countries. The Plan was instigated at the first Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers, at Oxford in 1959 and is still reviewed by Ministers at their triennial meetings – the only scholarship scheme in the world to receive such high level recognition.

In the UK, funding for awards to developing countries comes from the Department for International Development whilst Foreign & Commonwealth Office funding supports scholarships to Australia, Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cyprus, Malta, New Zealand and Singapore. In recent years, a number of individual universities have provided joint funding for individual awards.

The Commission Secretariat is provided by The Association of Commonwealth Universities, based in London. Financial management, welfare and other support is provided by the British Council.